Community search party seeks identity of 'Buffalo Woman' serial killer victim
A grassroots effort continues in Winnipeg to try and identify one of four women believed to have been murdered by an alleged serial killer.
Up since the early morning, Darryl Contois and George Robinson were putting up posters and asking members of the street community for any information on Buffalo Woman.
She is one of four victims police say were murdered by 35-year-old Jeremy Skibicki, something not yet proven in court.
Indigenous elders gave the name Buffalo Woman (Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe) after police couldn't identify her -- something the search party is looking to change.
"We've got four or five vehicles out there right now; Osborne, we have some in St. Boniface, we have some down toward Polo Park, we have some out towards Main," said Contois.
Robinson, who was out canvassing on Sunday, is the fiancé to the cousin of one of the other victims -- Morgan Harris.
He said closure is important to the grieving families.
"And with Buffalo Woman not being identified, there's a family out there that is missing someone and not even know it because when a lot of people are homeless or on drugs or whatever, they give up."
Winnipeg police believe Buffalo Woman was in her mid-20s, Indigenous, had an average build, and died in mid-March.
They released an image of a reversible jacket, which they believe belonged to her.
The grassroots search party hopes fellow vulnerable Winnipeggers who frequented shelters can give insight into who she might be.
"You know, coming into these types of communities and stuff like that, they don't talk to police, but they will talk to us," said Robinson.
Winnipeg police said information from the public can help in some cases.
"The investigation into the homicide and identification of Buffalo Woman (Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe) remains active and ongoing. It remains a priority for the homicide unit; however, we do not have further information to share at this time," said the WPS in an email to CTV News.
The search group said they are getting some helpful information and won't stop until they know Buffalo Woman's identity.
"We got to just keep putting up posters, asking questions, going through homeless encampments, going down Main and up Main and all over the city," said Robinson.
The group said it is looking for volunteers to help and would also like First Nations to put up posters in their communities.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian family stuck in Lebanon anxiously awaits flight options amid Israeli strikes
A Canadian man who is trapped in Lebanon with his family says they are anxiously waiting for seats on a flight out of the country, as a barrage of Israeli airstrikes continues.
Yazidi woman captured by ISIS rescued in Gaza after more than a decade in captivity
A 21-year-old Yazidi woman has been rescued from Gaza where she had been held captive by Hamas for years after being trafficked by ISIS.
Scientists looked at images from space to see how fast Antarctica is turning green. Here's what they found
Parts of icy Antarctica are turning green with plant life at an alarming rate as the region is gripped by extreme heat events, according to new research, sparking concerns about the changing landscape on this vast continent.
Suspect in shooting of Toronto cop was out on bail
A 21-year-old man who was charged with attempted murder in the shooting of a Toronto police officer this week was out on bail at the time of the alleged offence, court documents obtained by CTV News Toronto show.
A 6-year-old girl was kidnapped in Arkansas in 1995. Almost 30 years later, a suspect was identified
Nearly 30 years after a six-year-old girl disappeared in Western Arkansas, authorities have identified a suspect in her abduction through DNA evidence.
A Michigan man is charged with killing and dismembering a janitor he met on the Grindr dating app
Prosecutors have charged a Michigan man with killing and dismembering a janitor he met on the dating app Grindr.
NEW Youth pleads guilty to manslaughter in death of P.E.I. teen Tyson MacDonald
A teen charged with the murder of another teen on Prince Edward Island last year has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter.
Haitian gang kills at least 70 people, including 3 infants, UN says
Armed men belonging to the Gran Grif gang killed at least 70 people, including three infants, as they swept through a Haitian town shooting automatic rifles at residents, a spokesperson for the United Nations' Human Rights Office said on Friday.
WATCH LIVE 2 dead after fire rips through historic building in Old Montreal
At least two people are dead and others are injured after a fire ripped through a century-old building near Montreal's City Hall, sources told Noovo Info.